The Super Network

It has been a long time since I have seen 1994’s WOLF, I remember when it came out I wasn’t allowed to watch it, so I snuck the VHS away and watched it. It didn’t have much of an impact on me at that young age, because a lot of it did go over my head but I do remember liking the werewolf stuff.

Having then rewatched it older, I got a lot more out of it and this most recent rewatch I feel like I can appreciate the film. This is in part a horror movie but also a dark comedy of sorts with a bit of drama/thriller thrown into the mix. It feels like a 90s film but there is so much in it that can be related to, it really is a gem of a film.

The film is about publisher Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) who is in danger of losing his job after the company has been brought out. He’s a very safe man and doesn’t take too many risks, and he doesn’t seem to notice the very obvious things going on around him. That is until he gets bitten by a wolf, and everything changes. He’s suddenly got a new confidence and attitude, he feels young again, rejuvenated and he is determined to get what he wants. Standing in his way is his protege Stewart Swinton (James Spader), who wants his job and isn’t the man Will thought he. The young lion wants to go after the King, and with a little help from the bosses daughter Laura Alden (Michelle Pfeiffer) Will stands a chance with things.

WOLF is really about a man going through a mid-life crisis, in part that is what the werewolf aspect acts as a metaphor for. However it also is a metaphor for the vicious behaviour within the business world. Stewart is ruthless, but he hides it from everyone and Will is too nice but finds his inner monster. This works extremely well with this story, it makes a lot of sense and it is fun to see happen. Will is an interesting character and the changes he goes through are things that aren’t necessarily a bad thing, he doesn’t treat his new found condition like a curse. During all this he even finds passion for another woman in Laura and in turn she discovers things about herself.

The performances are really good here, Jack Nicholson was meant to play a werewolf, it comes naturally to him, he even looks like one. The make up effects just added to his already interesting face and he played it so well. James Spader is always fantastic, and he is so good as the two-faced Stewart (something we know he does well) and he does get to let loose too. Michelle Pfeiffer many not have had the fun of wolfing it up but she does a pretty solid job. The chemistry was interesting between Nicholson and Pfeiffer, it wasn’t sizzling but the two did connect on a level that worked for the film.

This is definitely an interesting addition into the works of Mike Nichols, it certainly has his feel in places and stands out in his filmography. WOLF is an intriguing film that is easy to recommend.

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